The Manila Ocean Park

There’s something new to look forward to this December! The Manila Ocean Park is set to open this December (soft opening on 15 December!) and its oceanarium will be bigger than those in Singapore (Sentosa) and Hong Kong (Ocean Park). With the Philippines among the top places where you could see the widest range of marine life conceivable to man, it’s about time we had an oceanarium of our own. The MOP won’t have the usual theme park rides but it will have a mall (a Philippine staple) and a hotel, both scheduled to be open in July 2008. Entrance tickets range from Php250 for students to Php350-400 for regular patrons. The Php350-400 could be the difference between a weekend pass and a weekday pass.The Manila Ocean Park is behind the Quirino Granstand at Luneta Park. Visit the website, the whole thing looks promising! http://manilaoceanpark.com/

Outlet Shopping in the Philippines

Outlet shopping is finally here! Honest-to-goodness outlet brands and prices, not the type you find in surplus shops where most of the items have their tags cut, or have the wrong size, or if you’re unlucky, fake items that are being passed on as originals. I recently visited this mall and was pleasantly surprised to see that it has outlet stores. This seemed like a good idea since almost everybody is going to the competitor mall and this new setup could attract discriminating bargain hunters like me. (I wonder if one could call bargain hunters discriminating…) Anyway, I saw a glimpse of heaven at the Mango / MNG Outlet Store. Not even in midnight sales in Metro Manila would you find jeans as low as P5 499 and in excellent condition at that! Tops go for as low as P99239. Most items come from the last season or the last year but if you know how to choose cuts and colors that hardly go out of style, then you’re in for a delightful shopping spree. The staff here are friendlier and more accommodating, too. I got 4 jeans, and 7 tops (no, not the boxer tops/racer back tops type, but the real blouse pwedeng-pang-office kinds) all for just a little above P6,000.

Across MNG is an outlet store for Benetton, Sisley, and Nike. I found the prices still a bit high for an outlet store even though most were at least 50% off. The selection was limited so I went to the next outlet store: Plains and Prints. At this outlet store where items are sorted by color, what you see is what you get. Most items are either the last piece or the last size. All items are at 50% off although there’s no sign that says so. I had to ask the sales lady which ones were on sale and she told me that everything was half the price tag. There’s supposed to be a Guess outlet store but when I went to both stores (the one for kids and the other for adults), I couldn’t find any item that’s priced outlet store.

There’s another store, Smart Brands (?), which isn’t really an outlet store, carries Nine West, Bass, CK, Polo, and Lacoste at about 10% below Rustan’s price. I think the Bass and Nine West shoes and bags could go for outlet price. I found my Bass slip-ons there for P900. I saw some CK jeans at P800 but the pair seemed to be the last one and looked very old and dirty.

 The All Flipflops store seemed to be perennially on a 20% off sale. Only cash transactions are accepted at this store, though.

Soon to Now open is an outlet store for Naturalizer/Lifestride, and Bossinni, and two other brand names I forgot (will update when I go back). The shoes are mostly about 50% off but there’s not much styles to choose from. The Bossinni clothes you could get cheaper still in Hong Kong and on regular mall sales in Manila. Choices are also very limited and some items are at regular prices.

Onward to the Land of Milk and Honey

Today I got my passport back from the US Embassy.

My interview with the consul was not as pleasant as I had hoped. Friends of friends got a 3-month single entry visa, while some got a 1-year single entry. Considering I was given THE yellow slip after the interview, I already thought myself lucky compared to the thousands of people who are still denied a visa after the nth try.

Friends were egging me to get a visa since the news broke out that the interviewers are now younger and more pleasant. Besides, there’s nothing to lose. Yeah right. What about the $100 fee that goes to Uncle Sam even if I don’t get a yellow slip? I haven’t even gone to the US yet and already I’m throwing a hundred bucks down the drain.

I decided to apply anyway. It was raining on the day of my interview but the sun gave a little peep as I stared out the cab window on my way to the embassy. I got a newspaper to keep me company during the long wait and behind me I could hear people practicing their lines for the consul.

I had to try twice on the finger scanning apparatus which made me all the more worried. My number was up and I went to the booth to find that the person that came before me (together with his family) still being interviewed. The consul was older, straight-faced and a bit intimidating. I was hoping I’d face the younger ones. He denied the application of the guy because he found it strange for a person who’s only been with a company for 6-7 months to be granted a 2-month leave with pay.

It was my turn and the first question he asked was how long I’ve been with my current employer. He asked for my monthly salary, a certificate from my office where it states when I started with them, my bachelor’s degree, who my contact person was and whether she was an immigrant or a citizen, if I still lived with my parents, if I had a husband and kids, asked to see my company ID and my old passports, and what I did at work. Whew! Then he encircled the magic code: B1/B2 and gave me the yellow slip to pay the courier that will deliver my passport.Two days after I got a call from someone at the guard house saying he had my passport. With cold hands I opened the package and grinned ear to ear like a person in love. The old guy gave me a ten-year multiple entry visa!

To Marjie

Could have been from the same family, I don’t really know. This came out in the late 90s and people claim it’s not made up.

To Marjie,

I am not surprise or wander why Dennis leave you. Why? What reason you can think about but you’re very fat body. I thought before that Dennis only use me to his toy but sooner and later I’m realize that he really can’t not beared or stomached to be with you anymore because at first, Dennis say he could not stand you’re habit of making pakialam all his walks [lakad] and always calling to their house what he go home or this or that.

And then he say he get ashame to met iether in school or in his family and then asking you to exercise you’re very very, very fat body. But you hate it. Thoughth your the most preetiest girls he knows about. What do you think you are “Beautiful Girl” of Jose Marie Chan?

Even you are beautiful face (to your think) you do not have the right to called me whatsoever or else different name one time or the other for the real purposed to insults my personality because I’m never call you names ether in the front of Dennis or in the backs of Dennis, but if you start already to calling me different name, I don’t have any other choice but to call you other different name to. Like you are a PIG, FAT, OBESSED, OVERWIGHT, AND UGLY SHAPE girl. Shame to you’re body that is to a BUDING.

You can’t not blame Dennis for exchanging you to me because I am the more sexier than you when you look to us in the mirror.

I’m repeat again that you are like Ike Lozada when she is a girl.

Love,

The Sexiest Girl of D.M.

P.S. You say that I’m the bad breathe but who is Dennis want to kissed. Me or you? You or me? And the final is me. There you go.

“The!”

I wish I were as prolific. People really are crazy when they’re in love… Read on…

We’ ve been friends for a long time ago. We come from the same alma mother.Actually, our paths crossed one time on another. But it’s only now that I gave him a second look. I realized that beauty is in the eyes. The pulpbits of my heart went fast, really fast. Cute pala siya. And then, he came over with me. He said, “I hope you don’t mine. Can I get your number?” Nag-worry ako. What if he doesn’t give it back? He explained naman na it’s so we could keep intact daw. Sabi ko, connect me if i’m wrong but are you asking me ouch? Nabigla siya. Sagot niya, “The!” Aba! Parang siya pa ang galit! Persona ingrata!!! Ang kapal niya! I cried buckles of tears.

Na-guilty yata siya. Sabi niya, isipin mo na lang na this is a blessing in the sky. Irregardless daw of his feelings, we’ll go ouch na rin. Now, we’re so in love. Mute and epidemic na ang past. Thanks God we swallowed our fried. Kasi, I’m 33 na and I’m running our time. After 2 weeks, he plopped the question. “Will you marriage me?” I’m in a state of shocked. Kasi mantakin mo, when it rains, it’s four! This is true good to be true. So siyempre, I said yes. Love is a many splendor.

Pero nung inaayos ko na ang aming kasal, everything swell to pieces. Nag-di-dinner kami noon nang biglang sa harap ng aming table, may babaeng humirit ng, “Well, well, well. Look do we hav e here.” What the fuss! The nerd ng babaeng yon! She said they were still on. So I told her, whatever is that, cut me some slacks! I didn’t want this to get our hand kaya I had to sip it in the bud. She accused me of steeling her boyfriend. Ats if! I don’t want to portrait the role of the other woman. Gosh, tell me to the marines!

I told her, “please, mine you own business!” Who would believe her anyway? Dahil it’s not my problem anymore but her problem anymore, tumigil na rin siya ng panggugulo. Everything is coming up daisies. I’m so happy. Even my boyfriend said liketwice. He’s so supportive. Sabi niya, “Look at is this way. She’s our of our lives.”

Kaya advise ko sa inyo - take the risk. You can never can tell. Just burn the bridge when you get there. Life is shorts. If you make a mistake, we’ll just pray for the internal and external repose of your soul. I second emotion.

Pasig River Cruise

Finally, I was able to find travel buddies take a ride in the Pasig Ferry last weekend in the persons of CJ and Misyel. We got off at MRT Guadalupe Station in Makati and took a jeepney down to the ferry station (take the jeepneys going to the Fort or if you have a car, there’s parking at the Guadalupe Market or near the jeepney terminal just across the ferry station). You can walk from the MRT station if you feel like it.

We were met by two security guards and got our tickets for the ride. We were lucky since it was the first day of their family bonding weekend promo. Flat rates for Saturdays and Sundays at P25 per passenger. Tap the face of the ticket on the machine reader and pass through the turnstile. The passenger waiting area has a TV but we didn’t wait long as the staff said we can already board the ferry.

Inside the ferry was clean, and guess what, there was a life vest under each seat! Now that’s amazing coming from the country with the most number of nautical accidents. The airconditioning was good considering it was very warm outside. Since it just rained, one couldn’t smell the stench of the river once inside. There was supposed to be an LCD screen up front but all we saw were wires. I hope the crew didn’t take it home to ‘repair’.

   

There are a total of 5 stops after Guadalupe: Hulo, Lambingan, Sta Ana, PUP, and Escolta. Don’t miss the Malacanang Palace (warning: passengers are not allowed to take pictures of the structures across the Palace) and the old Post Office Building.

 

Once we got off at Escolta, we checked out the hopia at Polland Bakery and had lunch (and dinner, since it was already past 4pm) at Savory Restaurant. Before KFC and ChickenJoy, there was Savory. The fried chicken was yummy! A brief stop at the Binondo church and we were on to our Chinatown walkathon. We bought some more hopia at Eng Bee Tin to compare and contrast with that of Polland’s.

Saw some lychees along the way and got us some of those. CJ and I were stocking up on food as we just got our copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and we had no plans of going out once we’ve started with Chapter 1. Crossing to Sta Ana church, we went to a Chinese drugstore to get Pei Pa Koa (which I found was more effective in relieving me of the persistent coughing I’ve had for more than a week now than all those expensive meds prescribed by the office clinic).

Some more purchases at the Quaipo stalls and we went through the underpass to the open secret that is the home of pirated DVDs and CDs. After a lot of pre-screenings, we were finally satisfied with our loot and headed home, excited to start HP7 with our lychees and hopias nearby…

By the way, the river ferry service is open everyday from 5:30am to 9:00pm with 30-minute intervals per ferry.